Title: Bhutanese Man Arrested in Thailand for Alleged Currency Scam Cases in Bhutan

Arrest and Freezing of Bank Account

The Thimphu Police have made an arrest of a Bhutanese man living in Thailand in relation to two suspected currency exchange scam cases totaling over 188,000 Ngultrum. The arrest was facilitated by a court order to freeze the suspect’s bank account in Bangkok.

Reported Cases

Incident 1: Scam in Australia

A Bhutanese man residing in Australia reported that he had sent 116,000 Ngultrum to an account he believed was owned by a Bhutanese national in exchange for Australian dollars. However, he did not receive the foreign currency as promised, and the suspect disappeared. This incident was reported to the police in March.

Incident 2: Scam in Bangkok

Another Bhutanese student studying in Bangkok reported a similar incident in February. He claimed to have sent over 72,000 Ngultrum to a suspect posing as a fellow Bhutanese student with US dollars for exchange. Despite the transfer, the student did not receive any US dollars in return.

Fraudulent Activities

Investigations by the Thimphu Police showed that the scammers had hacked into the social media accounts of the two Bhutanese citizens and phished their bank account details. Using the hacked accounts, the perpetrators sent account numbers of the victims to potential targets on social media, posing as Bhutanese individuals seeking to exchange foreign currencies.

However, the individuals whose accounts were used were unaware of the fraudulent activities. They received messages stating that amounts had been deposited into their accounts, which were later withdrawn within minutes.

Criminal Activities and Proceeds

Further investigation revealed that the amounts obtained in both cases were deposited into a Bank of Bhutan (BOB) account belonging to a Bhutanese man residing in Thailand. The man allegedly dealt in cryptocurrency and claimed to be unaware of the criminal transactions but thought the funds were for buying cryptocurrencies. He reported receiving threats from the hackers for not releasing the cryptocurrencies upon learning about the scams.

Ongoing Investigations and Rising Fraud Cases

The cases remain under investigation, but financial frauds have been on the rise in Bhutan, with Thimphu police recording 45 such cases since 2023, resulting in financial losses of over nine million Ngultrum.

Precautions and Advice from Thimphu Police

Exercise Caution

The Thimphu Police urge Bhutanese traveling or residing overseas to exercise caution when exchanging currency, remain vigilant, and take measures to secure their banking apps.

Verify Authenticity

They also advise verifying the authenticity of online interactions to avoid falling victim to money scams.

Report Suspicious Activity

Lastly, the police advise reporting any suspicious transactions or activities to the local law enforcement authorities.